Your view on suicide.

[Charizard★]

Everyone has their own view on it, for example, some people think that it's just a permanent solution for a supposedly 'temporary problem' or even that the person who committed it isn't strong enough to live in such a world. Neither of these are my own personal views, just the ones I've heard the most.

So, what's yours?


on another topic, 3 years at pc

Razor Leaf edit: ok guys this is obviously a really touchy topic so here's your warning: keep it polite and considered or Livewire and I will be happy to whoop yo ass and probably this whole thread too. Thanks! <3

 

[droomph]

Depression is stupid, though it's painful and hard to bear.

Being a guy with depression that's how I see it :P So I understand why people would want to get these things over with.

 

[Shiny Celebi]

I understand that some people get really depressed and feel like ending it all. They shouldn't do that, as it solves no problems and just makes your family and friends depressed. They would be so sad if you died and feel guilty they couldn't help the person. People shouldn't commit suicide to get away from problems, but work to solve them and get help with this if nesessary. People are willing to help others, they just have to ask for help.

 

[Oryx]

Suicide is bad and shouldn't be done. There's always a way out.

But in the same vein, I don't feel like anyone should pass judgement on anyone that feels they need to commit suicide. Anyone who's gotten into that mindset is not mentally balanced. It's not that they're a weakling or too emotional, there's something wrong in their brain that doesn't allow them to consider the consequences rationally.

 

[Katie the Friendly Ghost]

I made a post in another thread, something like "One thing you just can't understand." My response was suicide. The only reason I can see that someone would commit suicide was listed by Toujours:

It's not that they're a weakling or too emotional, there's something wrong in their brain that doesn't allow them to consider the consequences rationally.

If I were someone trying to help another cope with depression, I would be very adamant about trying to seek outside help, or just find some other way to cope. But for some, their minds can't be swayed, and suicide seems like a plausible means to an end. No amount of convincing could change that.

For the people who can be convinced that suicide is not the answer, then we need to do all we can to prevent it. There is no point to suicide. All these issues, I feel, can be solved in one way or another. And heck, I'm even for avoiding certain issues if depression lessens as a result. I may be brash by saying this, but I feel like death isn't warranted by any issue that's non-physical. I am not someone who feels this sort of mental strain everyday, so I wouldn't know exactly how it feels, but from where I stand today, no problem is worth killing yourself over.

That being said, physical pain is a different story. Suicide to prevent further physical pain is understandable in certain situations, i.e. you're being tortured. Of course one could say mental pains are often as unbearable as physical pains. I wouldn't know though. It comes back to the point of there must be a way to solve it. If there is a mental pain that is, in turn, causing so much physical pain to you that you cannot stand to live another second on Earth, then I would say suicide is warranted. But if there is just even a small chance of being able to fix this problem and stop the pain, then we all need to make an effort to do that.

I am totally against suicide. But in a situation of absolute suffering, when there is no chance for recovery, I cannot denounce it as a solution.

 

[Margot]

As someone who has family members with severe depression/suicidal tendencies and learning about what that's like, I know that when your depression is that severe and all you are is numb and empty and have no motivation for anything, including the next day, that suicide seems like a happier alternative. One where you have no pain and don't have to struggle day to day.

However, I'm also biased because I'm the family member watching this all unfold and I can't wrap my mind around it no matter how hard I try. When you have so many people who love you and would forever be scarred by you leaving and yet you choose to do it anyway is something that just makes no sense to me, even if their decision has nothing to do with how it will effect anyone else and is entirely personal. It just seems to awful to still disregard everyone else who loves you so much and would do anything to have you stay.

I think the only thing that has made me see this slightly different was a picture of a tattoo a girl got in memory of her mom who committed suicide: she said it was a bird flying out of her cage to represent her mom finally being free from a life that only brought her pain and now she can be at peace. While that's a nice way of dealing with it and understanding it, knowing me, it would take me a long time before I could really only see suicide like that.

Again, I know just how terrible depression can be and what it does to people's minds so I'll never fully be able to understand it.

edit: I take back my comment about it being sad no matter the circumstance and I take that back. I was only thinking about suicide linked to depression, I didn't even stop to consider those who kill other people and then themselves.

 

[Tsutarja]

I really think suicide is just plain wrong. Of course people usually commit suicide because they feel very depressed in their lives and they can't take the emotional pain anymore, but I really think that paranoia also ties into why one would commit suicide. Usually the average person might also be unaware that attempting to commit suicide is illegal (in the United States at least, not sure about other countries).

Of course, traces of suicide cannot be traced back to just depression. There are also cases whenever a massive killing occurs and then to prevent themselves from getting in trouble, the suspect usually attempts to kill themselves just to prevent jailtime and further prosecution. I've seen stories like this in the news in the past.

 

[Honest]

For the longest time, I didn't know where I stood when it came to suicide. On one hand, I deemed it as a selfish act. On the other, it was the person's decision, and it was his life, so it's okay for that person to commit it. I was on the fence for the longest time. Then a few years ago, this site I frequent put on a mini-column about the Chris Beniot double murder-suicide. I already knew about that, and I was upset. But after reading through said column, I just had an epiphany of sorts, I guess. I came to realize that just because it's your own life doesn't mean it's right. It's an act of pure selfishness, and as many people say, it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem. There are other ways to deal with depression. Suicide is not the answer



tl;dr: I'm against it.

 

[Charizard★]

Thanks for the responses so far, I just wanted to read other people's views/comments on it.

To those who are against it:
How would you go against a problem that happened which resulted in the person thinking like that? You can't just say, 'Go to a therapist, they'll make it all better.' Especially when it was for a long period of time. Talking it out doesn't really do much. Is it really selfish? For someone to live for others even though they don't want to/can't go on emotionally/mentally/physically?

Note: I'm not trying to bash anyone by saying this, and I hope that it doesn't come off as offensive.

 

[NarutoActor]

With every right, there is the reverse-right. There is free speech, and there is the right to remain silent. It is using your right, your freedom to any degree you want. As such since there as been established through court cases, that there is a right to life; then there is a right to death, and people should be able to commit suicide, if they so please.

 

[LightningAlex]

In my opinion, it depends on the reason why someone would want to commit suicide. Here are two cases:
1) I've spent a lot of time in the hospital. I went to medical school, now I study medicine, and working at the hospital was part of my practical classes. I've seen a man who has muscle dystrophy - I'm a little fuzzy about the details, but his muscles are slowly dying out. He's been lying in the hospital for 6 years now - his muscles are so weak that he can't move any of his limbs, or his head. He can't even talk. All he's doing is watching TV (And he can't change the channels) while waiting for his diaphragm to degenerate enough to lose the ability to breathe.

2) A 13 year old girl attempted suicide when she broke up with her boyfriend. She survived, and all she had to say is "Well, at least I'm famous now that I tried to kill myself".

Both are true stories. The second one happened in my hometown. So, in which case is suicide acceptable? IMHO in case #1 it would be okay (Although someone would have to help him do it, but that's a completely other topic), but in case #2 it's just plain stupidity.

 

[antemortem]

Depression is an excuse to be sad for an otherwise temporary amount of time. I don't believe killing yourself is the rightful solution for any situation because there's always another way to work something out, no matter how difficult the problem proves to be at face value. To kill yourself means putting dozens of other people into a sadness of their own, and even regret for not being able to aid you in your time of need by offering up other solutions, and even for those who did help you, as they would be downcast at the thought of the victim either not heeding their advice or they would feel as if they were not as helpful as they could have been.

tl;dr suicide is dumb.

 

[Charizard★]

Interesting response guys! Thanks!

However, Minzy (K-Pop ftw!), it's not always a temporary problem. That's the mistake everyone makes. Not all the times it's that severe, but, in some cases it is. It's not always about the other people, if the person is scarred by it so much so that they can't live normally anymore, it's too far. Everyday you have to wake up to the 'scar'. No amount of counseling, psychiatric help, or just talking it out will work.

Although, that's only for extreme cases.

Once again, don't take this personally.

 

[droomph]

Depression is an excuse to be sad for an otherwise temporary amount of time. I don't believe killing yourself is the rightful solution for any situation because there's always another way to work something out, no matter how difficult the problem proves to be at face value. To kill yourself means putting dozens of other people into a sadness of their own, and even regret for not being able to aid you in your time of need by offering up other solutions, and even for those who did help you, as they would be downcast at the thought of the victim either not heeding their advice or they would feel as if they were not as helpful as they could have been.

tl;dr suicide is dumb.

Just saying, but you're completely wrong.

When my depression was really bad, each day I would wake up to think "**** I'm still alive." No matter how small, it leaves you with no energy or motivation, but you really want to do what you love (eg ROM hacking for me) and you still love what you want to do. You know there's absolutely no damn reason you should feel that way, but you do, and strongly.

You feel useless because of that, to other people and to yourself. And trust me, the only way you can escape this is 1) medicine or 2) death. And since some people are too proud, depressed, or embarrassed to admit they have a problem (or they're too poor to buy meds on their own) death seems like the best thing - you solved your problem without wasting other people's time and effort, because most of us depressed people (or at least me) care deeply about the feelings of others (and most of them can't face people after what they think they have done), despite what you may think. Sadness is just like alcoholism or a drug addiction - you know for a fact alcohol isn't necessary, but you keep on consuming it anyways, because you can't help it - you're physiologically addicted.

But ofc on the outside it just looks like you taking the easy way out. So I invite you to think in the mind of the victim before casting judgement.

 

[Sir Codin]

To me, suicide something I feel I have to flirt with in order to back off from it. That may sound worrying, but for me it's always worked for some strange reason. However, it's nothing something I'd really recommend due to how risky it might be for certain other people.

Depression is something I've become familiar with personally. It's like you realize something's wrong and you know you're depressed, but you always throw up mental barriers telling you nothing's going to get better. It's like there's two parts of you, you have two faces. One is telling you to not give up hope, while the other tempts you to give into despair. And oftentimes, the latter voice wins. Things you used to enjoy suddenly seem meaningless, you get irritable, and you have trouble sleeping or waking up. You feel absolutely worthless, inadequate, and you keep telling yourself you aren't as good as others. You aren't as informed, you aren't as smart, and you aren't talented. And sometimes, you find temporary relief, temporary happiness, but then the barriers come up again and convince you that happiness is nothing more than an illusion, a veil, and that the temporary happiness is just that. Temporary. Pretty soon you convince yourself that there's only one way out.

But for me, flirting with just the thought of suicide throughout my entire life (I've had such thoughts for as long as I can remember) keeps me from doing it. There's just some kind of stress relief from just imagining myself taking my own life and there's something saddening about thinking how many people will miss me that makes me realize how idiotic actually carrying out the act is.

And you start to think about it logically. You say to yourself "Dude, you're a f****** moron. You've only lived a quarter of your life and you want to call it quits? Jackass." At least that's how I've always dealt with such thoughts.

Despite my horrible cynicism (it just comes naturally to me), I always find something in the world worth living for. You just have to keep looking. That's all I can recommend.

Suicidal thoughts and depression aren't something you can just say "don't do it" to someone in order for them to stop doing it. It doesn't work like that. The enemy is within and for the most part, they have to face it themselves. In fighting their battles and winning, they grow stronger. There is, however, nothing wrong with comforting them and letting them know you've always got their back if they ever need it.

But if you're truly going to take your life, all I can say is, do what you feel is right. Do it or don't. The choice is up to you. It's not my place to make you or someone you know back off. But at the very least, think twice. Oftentimes the reasons for suicide are not justified, but nothing is absolute. If statistics taught me anything, it's that there's always outliers.

And to anyone here having the similar thoughts to what I just described, I can recommend the following method:

Step 1: Type "suicide hotline [insert your state/country here]" into Google
Step 2: Pick up a phone and dial the number
Step 3: Have a friendly chat.

Easy as one-two-three. It may not solve all your problems, but it'll let you know you aren't alone. There are other ways to get out of your problems besides a bullet to the left temple or a knife slash across the throat. Keep looking. Also, blasting heavy metal takes a load of stress off for me. Of course, I realize the genre isn't for everyone.


However, if you are going to kill yourself, don't kill others while doing it. They aren't you and they don't all have the same thoughts as you. Don't be an @sshole. (I don't care if some moderator cites me for bypassing that one)

Peace. \m/

 

[Razer302]

I have a fiancee that gets suicidal. Something happened to her when she was younger and every now and then it comes back to her and she just gets so bad, when I wasn't there she has tried to before but now whenever she gets like that I'm there no matter what.

Seeing someone who goes through sever depression is an awful thing. There is literally nothing you can do to snap them out of it you just have to be there to make sure it doesn't get far enough to cause suicide.

People sometimes confuse it with feeling lonely but a lot of depression is caused by so many other factors, when that happens its a lot harder than a phone call. it takes a lot of effort and a very long time to snap out of it. My depression was at its worst when I kept being told I was worth nothing, never good enough and so on. Wasn't at all about being lonely and I myself have thought about ending it all. Luckily I pulled myself out of it on my own by thinking about changing who I was and eventually I will make something of my life which I now have done and I am a completely different person since shutting the bad people out of my life.

So for me it depends on how strong mentally the person is and I can understand if someone does it.

 

[Sydian]

Just saying, but you're completely wrong.

When my depression was really bad, each day I would wake up to think "**** I'm still alive." No matter how small, it leaves you with no energy or motivation, but you really want to do what you love (eg ROM hacking for me) and you still love what you want to do. You know there's absolutely no damn reason you should feel that way, but you do, and strongly.

You feel useless because of that, to other people and to yourself. And trust me, the only way you can escape this is 1) medicine or 2) death. And since some people are too proud, depressed, or embarrassed to admit they have a problem (or they're too poor to buy meds on their own) death seems like the best thing - you solved your problem without wasting other people's time and effort, because most of us depressed people (or at least me) care deeply about the feelings of others (and most of them can't face people after what they think they have done), despite what you may think. Sadness is just like alcoholism or a drug addiction - you know for a fact alcohol isn't necessary, but you keep on consuming it anyways, because you can't help it - you're physiologically addicted.

But ofc on the outside it just looks like you taking the easy way out. So I invite you to think in the mind of the victim before casting judgement.

This tbh. I don't understand how people can write off depression as a reason to be sad. That's an awful thing to say. I never chose to be sad, lose interest in things, not talk to people, etc. I NEVER chose that path, and I would never choose it again, but if it happens again, then it happens. And it's an awful feeling to be going to school, see an 18-wheeler pass by and you have to struggle to not drive yourself right into it. It is just awful how anyone can ever say that about depression, or even suicidal tendencies. You can have your opinions on suicide all you want, but I don't think you can ever truly understand it till you actually do wake up wondering why you're still here and if things will get better. I'm trying not to cry as I type this, because that's how upset this topic makes me, and I'm happy there's at least someone here that understands. Depression gets a bad name because there are immature people that think just because they're really sad over something that it's depression, and there's so much more to it. When you're too afraid to even talk to people, your symptoms upset your family, you just want to sleep your life away, your main interests can't keep you happy, and you just feel blank and even death sounds better, then you know what it's like.

I'm sorry this post is more about depression than suicide, but like I said, it is a horrible thing that someone could say depression is an excuse to be sad. And I want to thank droomph for his post as well. Anything else I didn't address, he basically said it for me.

 

[KeiAyame]

Suicide is very sad in general, when one takes their own life, it can effect those around them in multiple different ways. Sometimes I can actually see why some would take their own lives, maybe abuse at home, not making it in life, and so on but there are ways of helping those people to prevent them from killing their selves.
I personally actually have considered on committing suicide for various of reasons and have tried think of ways I could do it that maybe wouldn't be painful, but I then think of reasons why I should live. Though, sometimes those reasons are gone and I'm left to thinking maybe I should just do it.
A reason for committing suicide can be different to every person who wants to do it. I don't think those who want to die, to just well die, if they could just have someone be there for them and help them they could make it and maybe even be happy.
Going to a therapist is another thing someone can do, some may feel very uncomfortable about it, others may want just someone to talk to.
There are lots of ways to stop someone from committing suicide, you just have to reach out to them, also it's harder when its someone you never thought would kill them selves too. Being friends with everyone can help. I wish people wouldn't commit suicide, but it does happen :\

 

[droomph]

Also, in addition to that, I would like to say that I personally understand why referring someone to the therapist in response to a suicide threat is enraging. I would personally want to talk to them first, and if they were a true friend, they'd understand. If I wanted to go to the therapist I would have gone a whole goddamn long time ago. There may be things only a therapist can do, but nothing beats talking to a friend and being through it together. After all, what's a friend other than a companion?

 

[Graceful]

I believe that it depends on the situation.
I think if someone's going to die or would prefer to die than live with something like a medical illness, disease, mutation, etc or who was going to die anyway, then I would completely agree. There was a court case where I live (England) a month or so ago (I don't know how it ended...) but a man who was paralysed wanted to die. He couldn't move or speak and even his family agreed that he'd be put out of his misery.
With that - I do think that suicide can be right, if the person has the right reasons.

However, I disagree if it's not that serious in such situations as because of a person, money problems or other things that can be sorted out. My Uncle commited suicide in 2008 because of a break up he had with his girlfriend and debt problems. And because he hadn't told us of his situation - we were all both upset and angry at him. He could've sorted his life out and gone far, but he decided to end it and throw pain onto those who loved him and who would've supported him. I hate him for doing it, but I can now see what frame of mind he was in.